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מַמְלָכוּת

𐤌𐤌𐤋𐤊𐤅𐤕

mamlâkûwth

H4468 noun

SILEX Entry

Root מלך to rule, be king, reign

Definition

A realm or state governed by a king or ruling authority; the domain, sovereignty, or administrative territory over which a monarch exercises power; by extension, abstract rule or kingship itself. Used to refer both to specific named polities (such as the kingdom of Israel or Judah) and to the abstract concept of royal dominion or authority.

Semantic Range

kingdom, realm, royal dominion, sovereignty, reign, kingship, political domain

Root / Etymology

From the root מ-ל-ך (מלך), meaning 'to rule, be king.' The noun מַמְלָכוּת is a feminine derivative formation, essentially signifying 'the state or condition of being a מֶלֶךְ (king),' hence 'kingdom' or 'royal authority.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical usage, מַמְלָכוּת most commonly appears in reference to the established kingdoms of Israel (ראשית הממלכות, 'the beginning of the kingdoms') and Judah, as well as various foreign polities (e.g., the kingdom of Egypt, Babylon, Edom, etc.). It is used both for centralized monarchic governments and the territorial domain they govern. While מַמְלָכָה (mamlākhāh) is more frequent, מַמְלָכוּת (mamlākût) functions as a morphological variation, often seen in the later books (Chronicles, Daniel, Ezra). Over time, the term could carry both political-territorial implications (the concrete realm) and abstract meanings (royal authority, sovereignty). In some post-exilic and Second Temple texts, it begins to be used in broader, sometimes cosmic, sense for divine or eternal kingdoms. English translations as 'kingdom' or 'reign' generally capture the core sense, but can at times obscure the distinction between territorial domain and abstract rule. The translation 'realm' can highlight the territorial aspect. The later English term 'Jewish kingdom' is anachronistic for most periods relevant to this word; in biblical texts, the polities referenced are best identified as Israelite or Judahite kingdoms.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a form of מַמְלָכָה and equiv. to it; {dominion, i.e. (abstractly) the estate (rule) or (concretely) the country (realm)}; kingdom, reign.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

מלך (m-l-k) — to rule, be king, reign

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3230 יַמְלֵךְ He-Will-Reign
H4409 מַלּוּךְ to Reigning-One
H4427 מָלַךְ in his reigning
H4428 מֶלֶךְ among the kings
H4429 מֶלֶךְ the sovereign

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4468-01 מַמְלְכ֥וּת mamelekhut HNcfsc kingdom kingdom of 9

Occurrences in Scripture

9 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4468-01 Joshua 13:12 מַמְלְכ֥וּת mamelekhut HNcfsc kingdom kingdom of
H4468-01 Joshua 13:21 מַמְלְכ֗וּת mamelekhut HNcfsc kingdom kingdom of
H4468-01 Joshua 13:27 מַמְלְכ֗וּת mamelekhut HNcfsc of the kingdom kingdom of
H4468-01 Joshua 13:30 מַמְלְכ֣וּת mamelekhut HNcfsc kingdom kingdom of
H4468-01 Joshua 13:31 מַמְלְכ֥וּת mamelekhut HNcfsc of the kingdom kingdom of
H4468-01 1 Samuel 15:28 מַמְלְכ֧וּת mamelekhut HNcfsc the kingdom kingdom of
H4468-01 2 Samuel 16:3 מַמְלְכ֥וּת mamelekhut HNcfsc kingdom kingdom of
H4468-01 Jeremiah 26:1 מַמְלְכ֛וּת mamelekhut HNcfsc of the reign kingdom of
H4468-01 Hosea 1:4 מַמְלְכ֖וּת mamelekhut HNcfsc kingdom kingdom of
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